East Africa: President Museveni in Arrives in Somalia for IGAD Summit

press release

President Yoweri Museveni is in Mogadishu, the Somali Capital to attend the first ever Regional Summit of the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member countries to be hosted by the Horn of Africa country since the organization's inception in 1986. It is also the first time that Somalia is hosting a Summit involving Heads of State and Government in over 43 years.

President Museveni was welcomed upon arrival at Mogadishu International Airport by the Somalia Federal Government Minister of Internal Security, Mr. Abdi Rizak Omar, Uganda's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr. Mull Katende, Uganda's Ambassador to Somalia, Prof. Sam Tulyamuhika, Deputy Ambassador, Major General Nathan Mugisha, the Deputy Special Representative to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ms. Lydia Wanyoto, and the Commander of the Ugandan Troops in Somalia, Brig. Samuel Okiding.

President Museveni and his host, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, were later joined by other Heads of State and Government from the current chair Ethiopia, Kenya, while Sudan and Djibouti were represented. The IGAD Extra-Ordinary Summit is being hosted at the Peace Business Group of Hotels in Mogadishu. A joint communique on the outcome of the Summit is expected from the Kenyan Foreign Minister at the conclusion of the regional leaders' deliberations.

The summit, which is a major vote of confidence by regional leaders in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his leadership, will focus on progress made in the peace and security sector and the upcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections in Somalia due on 30th October 2016. Despite visible and remarkable improvements in security around the capital, the Al Shabaab group still poses a potent threat, and as a result, a tight security blanket has been imposed at the venue and the greater part of Mogadishu.

President Museveni was last in Somalia in November 2010 in a surprise, daring and morale boosting visit to AMISOM and Ugandan troops that were involved in fierce battles for the liberation of Mogadishu from the grip of Al Shabaab, who controlled almost three quarters of the capital at the time. After much resistance, the terror group was eventually driven out of the capital by July 2011.

Security Beefed Up

One of the pressing concerns in the build up to this Summit was security and the preparedness of the authorities to host a major Summit involving several Heads of State and Government along with a huge international delegation.

The Ugandan Special Forces (SFC), part of the UPDF contingent serving under AMISOM, has been tasked with the important duty of securing the leaders, diplomats and visiting delegations. They are being backed up by the rest of the Ugandan contingent and Somalia national security forces.

Uganda, with the biggest contingent under AMISOM at over 6,000 troops, guards sector one of Banadir and Lower Shabelle Regions, which includes the Somali Capital of Mogadishu. Sector two is under the Kenyans, with headquarters in the port of Kismayo in the Juba Region of Southern Somalia. Sector three, near the Ethiopian border with Somalia, is dominated by the Ethiopians, while the Burundian contingent make up sector 4 in middle Shabelle. The Djibouti contingent is in sector five of the Hiraan Region.

Although the Alshabaab has been greatly weakened, it still remains dangerous. The group has resorted to guerilla and terrorist tactics. Driving through the heart of Mogadishu City, it is evident why. Hotels and key government buildings are heavily barricaded to prevent infiltration by suicide bombers. Occasional mortar attacks and sectarian inspired assassinations are still a problem, but the fact that the regional leaders have gathered in Mogadishu, is a big statement of political and diplomatic intent.

Somalia is currently in the general elections season. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's tenure expired last month in August, having been elected in 2012 for a four-year term. However, the country is still some way off from a universal adult suffrage, although this is expected to be the case by 2020.

ENDS